LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -
Mose Hayes shut down one of the nation's best offenses as the Eagles found a pair of three run innings to knock off the No. 2 ranked team in the NAIA and top-seeded host of the Lawrenceville Bracket Georgia Gwinnett 6-3 Tuesday afternoon to move one win away from the World Series.
Georgia Gwinnett got on the board first in the top of the second inning when a two out double from Joe Quelch preceded an RBI single from Caden Smith to take a 1-0 lead for the home team playing as the road team.
In the bottom of the third, Faulkner sparked its own two-out rally as
Orlando Lorduy and
Juan Trinidad hit back-to-back singles to set the table for
Johnny Lopez's double to right center to take a 2-1 lead.
Christian Webb drove Lopez home with a single of his own to take a 3-1 lead into the fourth.
Mose Hayes put together a masterful top of the fourth working three-up, three-down to get the bats back into the offense's hands for the bottom half. Eduarny Martinez led off with a single and
Francisco Soriano followed with a walk.
Jack Brinkley beat a potential sacrifice bunt attempt down the line and loaded the bases.
Jorge Lucero hit a sacrifice fly and
Evan Gilliam a sac bunt to improve the lead to four ahead of a Lorduy single to make it 6-1.
Georgia Gwinnett started the sixth inning hot with three straight hits including a double to score one and a sac bunt to score another and put a runner on third with one out, but Hayes escaped with the timely pitch once again coaxing a groundout that did not allow an advancement and struck out the next batter to get out with a 6-3 lead.
Hayes went on to sit down the next seven batters before a bloop single into shallow center on a 3-2 count put a Grizzly aboard on with one out in the ninth then a single and a walk loaded the bases.
Patrick McCarthy turned to the bullpen for the first time in the series and put the ball in
Hunter Dupuy's hands. Dupuy got Smith out swinging before a fly ball to left was caught by a ranging Martinez to shut the door.
Hayes earned the win throwing 122 pitches over 8.1 innings, striking out nine and walking just two, working around eight hits to allow just three runs to an offense averaging 13.5 runs a game. Over his two postseason starts, Hayes worked 17.1 innings, struck out 16 and walked just two while allowing just four runs. Dupuy picked up his third save of his season.
The win sees Faulkner face one of the presently three other teams remaining in the bracket Wednesday at 2 p.m. central. Georgia Gwinnett will open play Wednesday and will face the winner of OUAZ and Louisiana Christian. The winner of that game will face Faulkner. If Faulkner wins tomorrow afternoon's game, the Eagles would go to Idaho while a loss would force a winner-take-all Thursday showdown.
